On November 1, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration maintained delay programmes at 12 airports across the United States, encompassing a total of 18 active programmes. The worst-hit airport was Edmonton International (YEG), which experienced a prolonged ground stop due to persistent fog lasting 5 hours and 20 minutes into the evening.
Delays Span Multiple Airports and Programme Types
The delay programmes included six ground stop programmes, one ground delay programme, and eleven instances of general arrival or departure delay information. Ground stops hold departures bound for a destination on the ground at their origin airport, while ground delay programmes meter arrivals by assigning later departure times for inbound flights to the affected airport.
Edmonton International (YEG) led the ground stops, with an 8-sample ground stop due to fog running from 17:20 to 22:40 UTC, totaling 320 observed minutes. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) also had a ground stop lasting three hours from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC triggered by
low ceilings, airspace volume, and wind. Other ground stops included Harry Reid International (LAS) with wind-related issues for 1 hour 20 minutes and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) experiencing a thunderstorm-driven ground stop for one hour.
In addition to the ground stops, FLL operated the sole ground delay programme of the day, active for 5 hours and 40 minutes from 17:00 to 22:40 UTC, driven by thunderstorms. This programme reached a peak average delay of 56 minutes and maximum recorded delay of 174 minutes. General arrival and departure delay information was recorded at airports including FLL, Miami International (MIA), Dallas/Fort Worth
International (DFW), DJT, PHX, Orlando International (MCO), Philadelphia International (PHL), Harry Reid International (LAS), Southwest Florida International (RSW), San Diego International (SAN), and Chicago O’Hare International (ORD).
| Airport | FAA programme | Cause | Peak average delay | In force (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEG | Ground Stop Programs | fog | – | 17:20 to 22:40 (5 hours 20 minutes) |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) | Ground Stop Programs | low ceilings; airspace volume; wind | – | 17:00 to 20:00 (3 hours) |
| Harry Reid International (LAS) | Ground Stop Programs | wind | – | 21:20 to 22:40 (1 hour 20 minutes) |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) | Ground Stop Programs | THUNDERSTORMS | – | 15:40 to 16:40 (1 hour) |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) | Ground Stop Programs | LOW | – | 13:00 to 13:40 (40 minutes) |
| DJT | Ground Stop Programs | thunderstorms | – | 22:00 to 22:40 (40 minutes) |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) | Ground Delay Programs | thunderstorms | 56 min | 17:00 to 22:40 (5 hours 40 minutes) |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | TM Initiatives:MIT:WX | 106 min | 13:40 to 22:40 (9 hours) |
| Miami International (MIA) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | TM Initiatives:MIT:WX | 76 min | 13:40 to 22:40 (9 hours) |
| DJT | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | WX:Thunderstorms | 76 min | 20:40 to 22:40 (2 hours) |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | WX:Low Visibility | 61 min | 13:40 to 20:40 (7 hours) |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | WX:Low Ceilings; RWY:Rwy Change – Operational Necessity | 31 min | 18:00 to 22:40 (4 hours 40 minutes) |
| Orlando International (MCO) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | TM Initiatives:MIT:WX | 31 min | 20:40 to 22:40 (2 hours) |
| Philadelphia International (PHL) | General Arrival/Departure Delay Info | STAFF:Staffing; TM Initiatives:MIT:STAFFING | 31 min | 15:00 to 15:20 (20 minutes) |
Top Causes Behind FAA Delay Programmes
The leading cause stated by the FAA for delay programmes was traffic management initiatives related to weather (TM Initiatives:MIT:WX), appearing 63 times across programmes. Thunderstorms were the second most frequent reason, referenced 21 times under the umbrella code WX:Thunderstorms and 17 times as thunderstorms directly. Low visibility (WX:Low Visibility) caused 18 programmes, and runway operational necessities were cited 9 times.
Specific weather conditions such as fog caused Edmonton’s extended ground stop. Fort Lauderdale’s
and DJT’s programmes were highly influenced by thunderstorms. Phoenix faced a combination of low ceilings, wind, and airspace volume issues. San Diego and Chicago O’Hare documented volume and demand-driven delays. Philadelphia’s delays related to staffing constraints and associated traffic management staffing initiatives.
Comparison With Previous Day and Weekly Averages
The number of affected airports increased from 6 on October 31 to 12 on November 1, while total programmes rose from 7 to 18. This represents an increase of 6 airports under FAA delay management compared to the prior day. Relative to a 7-day average of approximately 10.1 airports affected, November 1 showed a higher volume of impacted
airports. The volume of programmes was also elevated compared to the average, indicating a more widespread operational impact within the national airspace system.
Methodology. travelandtournews.com samples the FAA’s National Airspace System status feed every 20 minutes throughout the US operating day and aggregates the result. This report is built from 64 samples taken between 00:00 and 22:40 UTC on 2026-11-01. Durations are the observed window between the first and last sample in which a programme was in force, so a programme’s true length may be slightly longer than shown. Ground stops, ground delay programmes, airport closures and general delays are
all published by the FAA in real time; the daily aggregation is ours.
